Improvement in preparing hides, skins, furs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

IMPROVEMENT IN PREPARING HlDES, SKINS, FURS, 840., FOR USE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,715, dated June 19,1866.

, To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ones A. ROTH, chemist, of the city of Philadelphiaand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful chemicalprocess in the art of improving the quality of upper-leather, furs, andother skins on which the hair or wool is fastened by tanning as nowpracticed in that art, so as to render the same more pliable in textureand more pleasing in their use than has heretofore been done, a cleardescription of which I give in the following specification.

The customary or known manipulations in converting the hides of animalsinto a useful material for mankind, in their various stages or qualitiesas now found in all markets, are generally known, and large productionsof that material, either in leather, furs, hides, &c., are producedapparently to the satisfaction of all; but I have discovered that thepresent modes of tanning allow and require improvement, as the fibers orweb of all animal-hides may be made softer, more durable, andsubstantially more pleasing to the wearer of the same.

When I improve any upper-leather, furs, or skins with their hair or woolon, after they are tanned in the ordinary now known manner, I subjectthe same to a bath of chemical composition, which I prepare for mypurpose, so as to neutralize the adhering tan, lime, acids, 800., bywhich the leather is kept in a harsh or rough texture, and in the furand other hides the animal gluten, so as to prevent insects, moths,8tc.,feedin g thereon after my chemical solution has been applied.

I remove those objections and injurious effects'in leather, furs, andother skins simply by steeping the leather or fur or hides in liquidmade as follows: I use about, as a formula,

one pound of fresh lime to ten gallons of water, and add thereto abouttwo pounds of sal-soda. All three I boil together so as to make a clearcaustic. The lime will settle to the bottom of the vessel in which thesolution is contained. I then draw off the clear liquor and place thesame in another vessel for the purpose of again boiling the same. Whenthis caustic is about the boiling-point, or near 200 Fahrenheit, I addlard, tallow, or similar fatty substances, by which I make a liquidsaponified solution for my purpose. While this composition is on thefire or heated by steam I stir it well, so as make a more uniform liquidof the whole. After this soprepared composition has been placed into asuitable vat and cooled down to about a milk-warm temperature, I immersethe leather, furs, skins, 8m, to be improved in the same, and allow atime of a few minutes or more, owing to the thickness of the leather orskins, until they are fully saturated with the liquid, when I take theleather, skins, 850., out, and treat the same in the usual manner, knownas finishing, &c.

Having described my process of improving leather, furs, skins, 850., sothat others skilled in the art may understand and use myimprove ment, Iwill now state what I claim as my invention and desire to secure byLetters Patent.

I claim- The softening of leather, hides, furs, and the hair or woolthereon, by treating the same in a saponified solution made in themanner as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

JULIUS A. ROTH.

Witnesses G120. Srnemsr, A. SGHLEITER.

